Without Elena
by Lana Archer
Summary: Elena Gilbert is dead. Bonnie and Jeremy form a makeshift family along with Caroline and Matt as they all try to mourn and move on. But what happens when the Salvatores arrive AND stick around? And...what exactly is the port of call when a stranger sweeps into town looking exactly like your dead best friend? (Mainly Bonnie-centric friendships esp Baroline)
1. Chapter 1

**Without Elena**

**Prologue:**

After losing Elena and her parents in that horrific car accident on Wickery Bridge Caroline and Bonnie hadn't done a lot of living. Jeremy had been taken in by Rudy Hopkins, Bonnie's dad and though the arrangement had been intended to be temporary seeing as his aunt was set to move to town, Jeremy had clung to Bonnie like a frightened child. Bonnie was no better, the terrible fact of her having lost her best friend, her _sister_, left a corrosive heaviness in her chest that ate away at her with every breath. The two of them had disappeared into their own little dark world, only letting Grams, Caroline and her mother in from time to time, as well as Bonnie's father every now and then. It was no secret that Rudy was hardly ever home, blaming his work life so Bonnie had all but grown up as a Gilbert. Jeremy held onto her because she was the only family he had left in his mind and for her he was a much needed painful reminder of everything she'd lost that night and everything she needed to stay steady in her hope for their futures. Caroline had cradled them as best as she could but her own life had quickly fallen to shredded tatters of her fondest memories; her father disappearing into the night leaving her with an empty house, which her mother had chosen to abandon, rather drowning herself in paperwork at the police station. But being Bonnie, she'd been able to be strong when Caroline felt her world slipping off of its axis, temptingly leaning away from everything they knew, in favour of a looming depression. But Bonnie held her when she cried; she held Bonnie when Bonnie cried and they both did their best to keep Jeremy sane – a daily endeavour. Matt had been the most resilient, loss and loneliness no surprise to the beautiful boy; he'd quickly turned to their pillar, though he'd lost the love of his life that night. The four of them, banded together in their sorrow, and they were slowly beginning to heal, to find some semblance of normalcy when it all turned to shit. And worst of all – the _reason_ for their dizzying spiral into the supernatural world? A vampire with the exact face of their dead Elena.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One: The Road To Hell<strong>

"Jeremy I _swear_! –" Bonnie called out angrily as she swept into his bedroom, right across from hers, "If I find _one_ more of these," she held up the burnt up joint between her fingers with a look of severe disgust, "I'm telling dad." Jeremy's brown eyes, so much like Elena's bulged in shock and shame, having thought he'd hidden it so well this time. His expression quickly turned indignant and he jutted out his chin at Bonnie, something he'd actually picked up from _her_.

"_Tell him_, and then we can _all_ have the _awesome_ family-talk where he quickly discovers that you've been smoking just as much as me." Bonnie narrowed her eyes, "That's right, you don't hide it very well either, a little air-freshener wouldn't kill you Bon-Bon." She scoffed as she folded her arms. "So what do you say?" His eyes lit up with a devious twinkle, "How about we bury the hatchet over you helping me with my homework and then I'll help with dinner?" She chewed her bottom lip and her eyes were still narrowed, but Jeremy knew he had her exactly where he wanted her.

"_Fine_. But I hope you realise that 'helping' doesn't mean 'not eating it all before it's even on the plate'." Her fingers curled around the words as she came to flop onto the edge of his bed as he grinned at the small success. "Also, Grams is coming over after dinner, apparently I'm due for another Wiccan lecture." Jeremy looked unphased by this, he thought it was actually cool how her Grams, _his_ Grams too really, as loopy as she was, knew so much about magic and witchcraft. It made the world a lot less dull when you saw it through her eyes.

"Sure, _whatever_, just help me with these, I swear Miss Harrow –" his tirade about math was cut off by the loud ringing of Bonnie's phone. Shooting her an amused look when he recognised the ringtone to be _Barbie Girl_ by Aqua she rolled her eyes and hopped up to her feet.

"_Hey_ Blondie." Bonnie sang, hand on her hip after eyeing Jeremy out while she listened to Caroline's mile-a-minute babbling, "Sure –" she sucked in a breath when Caroline kept going, "Care – Caroline, shut up, I said okay." Chuckling she held the device away from her ear when the blonde's squealing became too much. "I'll see you later." Hanging up she exhaled; a long, tired sound and Jeremy knew exactly what it meant.

"Can I go?" He asked and Bonnie shot him a dark look. "_What_? I'll totally behave." She snorted.

"I'm getting you a dictionary for your birthday," She said, leaning over to grab his work book for school, "Because I know that _you_ think 'behaving' means ogling Matt's sister until Tyler punches you in the face." Jeremy's smile was dangerously wide. "You can come to the party if you stay sober," he frowned then, "I'm serious kid; I can only cover for you so many times in a month." Jeremy growled but relented.

"_Fine_," he said sullenly causing Bonnie to chuckle, "Homework, dinner, Grams and _then_ – to the woods!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Caroline had been adding fresh flowers to the memorial shrine at the bottom of Elena's locker – she didn't care if two months had passed, it would always be Elena's locker – when he'd walked passed her. Sighing, she lifted the photo frame of Elena and felt the familiar sting of tears pierce the corners of her eyes when she heard two bodies collide into one another behind her. Stefan had slammed right into a burly football player, sending the bulkier boy flying somehow. Apologising, Stefan helped him up only to be swatted away in annoyance as Caroline watched. Slowly she rose to her feet as Stefan righted himself and turned to her. The football player muttered angrily under his breath as he stormed away and Caroline shook her head slightly.<strong>_

"_**Are you okay?" She asked after a beat and he blinked a few times, his eyes on the photo frame still in her hands. She noticed and jerked a little, pulling it to her chest instinctually like she could still protect the girl in the photo, no matter how long gone the brunette was. **_

"_**Fine," Stefan replied softly, returning his eyes to Caroline's face, "That girl, when did she…"**_

"**Die**_**?" Caroline supplied uneasily. He nodded. "Over summer."**_

"_**I'm sorry." Stefan said, with a sudden shyness she was immediately fond of. "I shouldn't pry, I'm not very good at acclimating, it's my first day at school and I've already annoyed an athlete and irked a pretty girl." Caroline's smile was a tentative mixture of empathy and surprise.**_

"_**You're fine, it's a small town, we take everything too seriously, don't mind us," he smiled then, "…And in the spirit of **_**friendliness**_** I'm extending you an invitation to a party in the woods."**_

"_**A party in the woods?" He echoed dubiously and she nodded.**_

"_**Sounds ominous I know," she smiled, "But it should help you familiarise yourself with everyone's faces and **_**you know**_**, learn who you should and shouldn't bump into in the hallways." He nodded and even though his brows huddled over his luminescent green eyes she saw a softness there, an appreciation at her warmth.**_

"_**Thank you." He said, "I suppose I should, uh, your number, to –" she twirled on her heel then and dropped down to the arrangement of flowers and photos, carefully returning the photo of Elena to its place between another of Elena, Bonnie and herself and another of the lot of them, with Matt, Jeremy and even Tyler. They had all been so happy… Shaking herself out of her thoughts she stayed crouched and scribbled her number and name on the corner of a page in her notebook and ripped it off. Standing up she turned to him with her hand held out to him.**_

"_**Caroline… by the way." She said as he took it and he smiled.**_

"_**Stefan." He replied.**_

So when Caroline saw him walking through the crowd towards her later that night at the kegger she shoved Bonnie a little and squealed behind her other hand. _Annoyed_, the green eyed girl looked to where Caroline was obviously trying to keep her eyes from roaming and laughed.

"Of course you'd make a dash for the newbie, be _gentle_… he looks sweet." Bonnie said, her nose crinkling as she looked down into her cup of beer. She frowned then, where the hell was Jeremy?

"I can be _gentle_," Caroline admonished, fluffing her hair and waving when he locked eyes with her. "Well, I can pretend." Bonnie rolled her eyes and nodded, taking a step away.

"I have to go find Jeremy, I'm sure he's fine I just…"

"_You worry_ –" Caroline said with a lazy wave of her hand when Stefan finally came to a stand between them, "I don't know why," Caroline went on turning to her friend, "We both know he's the most dangerous thing that could happen to him right now."

"Hence the _worrying_," Bonnie said, her hands out and her eyes widening a little, she looked to Stefan then, "I'm Bonnie," she said with a nod before turning to Caroline, "And I'll be on baby brother duty if anyone needs me." Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Text me when you find him or if you haven't in the next fifteen minutes!" Caroline called after her.

"Yes mom!" Bonnie yelled over her shoulder in return, saluting with her cup. Caroline sighed before remembering who was standing next to her. With a sudden straightening of her frame she looked to him and smiled.

"Sorry, we tend to bicker." Caroline said with a shy smile, swinging her arms out a little, "A _lot_ actually." Stefan smiled as his eyes followed Bonnie before she disappeared into the crowd.

"I have an older brother, somewhat estranged, but he and I fought like we were getting commissioned for each insult." Caroline laughed empathetically.

"Family's do have a certain endearing quality about them don't they?" She said before blowing out a breath, "I'm rambling, should we get you a drink?"

"Sure, after you."

* * *

><p>"Jer, you're <em>killing<em> me." Bonnie muttered as she walked a little further into the forest, away from the raucous crowd, thinking that he was sulking behind a tree somewhere. She'd seen Vicki and Tyler playing _Face-Invaders_ not too long ago with her little brother nowhere to be seen. She was willing to bet her entire music collection that he was lighting up a joint somewhere around here. "Come _on_." She hissed, texting him again. Stumbling a little over a raised tree root she decided to keep her eyes up and alert. Did that shadow just move? "Jer?" She called out, "Jer, it's _me_, I don't care what you're doing, just groan once if it's you and I'll leave you to wallow in peace." She was still walking towards where she'd seen the movement…Jeremy could be so petulant when it struck his fancy – boy could pout for _days_, she just didn't know why he wasn't answering her. "Jeremy, come on…"

* * *

><p>"Hey have you guys seen Bon?" Jeremy asked, popping up out of nowhere. Caroline was about to reply when she got a better look at him. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes were a bright red and she narrowed her own and put a hand on her hip. Caroline could go from peppy cheerleader to you-missed-my-phone-call mom mode faster than you could blink.<p>

"Jeremy Gilbert," she scolded, "Bonnie's off scouring the party for you and you're _what_? Getting high behind someone's minivan?" Jeremy snickered, his dazed eyes flickering over to Stefan's face and he frowned, not recognising the other boy at all.

"Who are you?" Jeremy wondered.

"Stefan Salvatore." Stefan answered evenly. Jeremy pulled a face that was a mixture of indifference and amusement.

"Cool," he said sounding half asleep, "_Listen_," he said looking back to Caroline, "When you see Bonnie could you tell her to come get me? I'm gonna be with Vicki, I wanna go home but I'll wait for her." Caroline rolled her eyes but nodded, pulling her phone out to text her best friend.

* * *

><p>"Jeremy, so help me I'll –" Her raging was cut off by a swift shove from her right that sent her flying onto the floor. She landed with a sharp thud and coughed as she struggled up, frowning at the dense smoke that was washing over the forest floor, curling around her as she made to stand up.<p>

"…_Boo_." A voice whispered in her ear once she was upright and she spun around to find the source but no one was there. Bonnie's heart was in her throat at this point, the sudden fear almost strangling her as it left her paralysed. Whipping her head this way and that she felt her bottom lip begin to tremble but she wasn't about to be the butt of someone, or some_thing_'s joke. Kicking her ass into gear and ignoring the buzzing from her phone in her hand she ran back to the direction of the party only to be shoved again – **harder** this time. The force of the blow sent her skidding across the ground, knocking her against a rock that was sticking out from the earth. It hit her right in the stomach, effectively leaving her breathless and starry-eyed as she rolled onto her back gasping desperately for air. A shadow crouched over her and all Bonnie could make out as her vision came and went were bright blue eyes and luminescent teeth that seemed too pointed, too _sharp_ as they caught the flickering moonlight above them. "I do enjoy the ones that run." The voice came again, sweeter this time, softer, but taunting all the same. The man sounded amused as he hovered over her curiously. Then, with an impossible agility he had her by her neck and pulled her up as she tried to uncross her eyes and right her senses. He squeezed a little; as if checking the durability of her throat and she wheezed, eyes lined with terrified tears. He leaned into her and she would have screamed had he not been throttling the very ability out of her at that point. She managed a strangled whimper when she felt the air around her face move as he drew in a deep breath as if to savour her scent. Her eyes widened in horror and she struggled against him. "Now, now." He chastised, lifting her easily by her throat as he himself stood to his feet, "No need to get testy, you are after all going to survive this." Before she had the chance to even process his words he had her pushed up against a tree and, like serrated knives, his teeth sank into the soft, thin skin at her neck and she screamed.

* * *

><p>Caroline had been mid-sentence when Stefan froze and his neck snapped in the direction of the dense forest. Frowning, he gave Caroline little chance to ask him what was wrong when he ran off, only to have her follow after him.<p>

* * *

><p>Bonnie didn't even feel connected to her body anymore. It was like someone had unplugged her sensors and now she was just floating around inside of her skin. In and out of consciousness when she heard feet skidding across the loose dirt around her and someone falling to their knees beside her.<p>

"Call an ambulance!" Someone barked, a voice she didn't recognise at the same time she heard Caroline gasp. She'd know that intake of breath anywhere; and she knew the different types that Caroline made for various situations and this gasp…it meant it was _bad_. Whatever had just happened to her was _very_ bad. Bonnie managed to open her eyes and look up at …Stefan? She tried opening her mouth to say the one word that had been rolling around in her mouth since the monster had dropped her to the ground not so long ago.

"Va –" she had to swallow and try again, "Vam…" but Stefan shushed her as he lifted her easily into his arms and ran back to the party to get to the parking lot. Caroline was near hysterical and Bonnie tried to say something to quell her concern, to calm her some but then she heard Jeremy.

"What happened to her?!" He yelled and Bonnie's mouth went slack as her head rolled to the side and her mind went blank.

* * *

><p>"<em>That's the thing about immortality my dear," a woman was saying as she and Bonnie walked through what seemed to be a garden of sorts – groomed to the point of excellence, "There are no rules that can bind you." Bonnie frowned, having no idea what the lady was rambling on about when she turned to smile at her. Bonnie's heart dropped to her stomach and she skidded to a halt much to the confusion of the other person.<em>

"…Elena_?" Bonnie gasped, her mouth hanging open. The girl, her best friend, frowned and shook her head slowly, taking a slow step towards Bonnie and put a hand on her shoulder. _

"_Emily I thought we agreed that you'd only experiment with your magic once a week, you're obviously draining yourself if you can't even remember so much as my _name_." Bonnie began to shake her head, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly as she took in the sight of what her dead best friend was dressed in. A dress; made of thick layers of the finest fabrics and in the prettiest shade of lilac wound her frame and her hair was pressed into tight ringlets that framed her face and lay hidden underneath a cute bonnet. Her eyes roamed to herself and everything was off there too. She was in a dress as well but it was mousier, more practical. But it was the hands that rose up to meet Bonnie's vision that confounded her even more; they were bigger than her unusually small dainty appendages, and there were the beginnings of callouses on these like whomever they belonged to was a hard worker. And while Bonnie was known to get her hands dirty not once would she forget to look after them as well. "I need you to be ready for when the inevitable happens." Bonnie's eyes snapped back up to 'Elena's' and she nodded, stupidly. The same smile Bonnie had mourned for the last two months broke out over the other girl's face and it lulled Bonnie into a sense of peace and normality, even amongst this absolutely absurd dream. "Come, come, let's see what the boys are up to."_

"_The boys –" Before Bonnie could finish her sentence two men came bounding over to them and her eyes flickered between their faces…before she could grasp any of the details though she felt herself slipping, fading, falling downwards into a cool nothingness. She lay there for a few moments; between the folds of darkness before she was pulled, abruptly upwards and back into reality._

* * *

><p>Bonnie gasped awake and shot upright, startling Caroline, Jeremy and her Grams who all looked simply haggard with exhaustion and worry.<p>

"_**Bonnie**_!" Caroline yelped while Jeremy fell over himself to get to the girl whose wide green eyes were darting around the room, searching for a looming darkness – for whatever had found her in the forest before to come and snatch her up again. Grams clutched her chest, relief clear as day on her features as the older woman watched Jeremy climb onto the hospital bed, Bonnie immediately scooting over to accommodate him even as her face remained frightened and unspeakably pale. Bonnie winced and felt the tightness of the bandage around her neck, lifting a hand to tug at it which Jeremy immediately smacked away.

"Bonnie, I'm so _sorry_ –" Jeremy began but she shook her head.

"Don't do that Jer," she said softly bumping her knuckles gently against his chin, "Don't blame yourself, I'm fine."

"You shouldn't have been there, if I'd just stayed with you –"

"Then we would have ended up arguing about _something_ and _you_ would have stalked off into the forest and then it would be _you_ instead of _me_. And what good is that?" Bonnie said, looking at him with the same firm expression he'd come to associate with her; she was familiar, she was his family, his home…_all_ that was left of it. Having to see her dangling in Stefan's arms with blood caked in a garish pattern from her throat to her collarbone…it was too much for him and he didn't need to be reminded how he'd have nothing left if he lost her as well. Bonnie could sense it, the sadness rising over him and she half smiled half sighed as she pulled him under her arm, resting her chin on his head when he nuzzled down into her despite being a good deal taller than her. She locked eyes with Caroline then and smiled, even when tears began to fall. Caroline's face twisted in a potent mixture of relief and pain as her own tears surfaced. Rushing to her feet the blonde rounded the bed and came to the other side of Bonnie, sitting on the edge of the bed near her to bury her face into the crook of Bonnie's shoulder, being sure to avoid the wounds. Sheila looked on, caught between the love displayed in front of her and the intrinsic knowledge of _exactly_ which animal had been behind the attack on her granddaughter.

* * *

><p>Stefan had been pacing the corridor outside of the ward Bonnie had been placed in but when he heard her wake up he sucked in a determined breath and stormed out of the hospital. Once he was in his car he sped out of the parking lot and through the dead streets until he reached his home. Well, his most recent one. Killing the engine and slamming the door he stuffed his hands into his pockets and made no movement to walk into the house.<p>

"If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this outside." His voice was low and deadly and his posture stiffened when he heard cackling coming from inside of his house. _Damon_. Before he could hope his older brother would reveal himself there was a sickening crack of bone and Stefan gasped, lurching forward only to be sent careening backwards when Damon himself came flying at him. Landing on the gravel with a low thud he snarled as he looked up at the blue eyed devil himself. Damon winked as he tightened his grip on Stefan's throat, his face playfully pensive. Before Stefan could ask what he was so smug about Damon's other hand revealed the still-bleeding head of Zach Salvatore.

"_Hello brother_." Damon's smile was feral.

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts?<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Just a quick thank you to everyone who jumped on board with this, I'm very excited about this plot and I can't wait to see what you guys think. _Enjoy_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Dear Diary<strong>_

_**Today Bonnie and I had our first real fight I think. And it was stupid. So stupid and now she's not even texting me back even after I've apologised. Which I did right off the bat, because I knew I was wrong…I shouldn't have said that about her hair. But she does run a little late sometimes making sure her dad remembers everything for his flights when he leaves so she doesn't always have time to do her hair like she'd like and I was tired and it was early…but still, I apologised. **_

_**Hopefully she'll forgive me when I show her the new photos mom took of us when we were at the Lake House two weeks ago. There's a pretty one of her and me, and her hair looks great in it too so she won't complain. She might even crack a smile and forgive me for asking her why she looked like she stuck her face in front of an industrial fan and then hair sprayed it…I am awful sometimes.**_

_**In my defence, I didn't love her any less, frazzled hair or straightened – she's my Bonnie. My sister and I'll always love her, maybe even a day longer than forever if whoever's upstairs would let me.**_

_**Always hopeful, **_

_**Elena**_

**Chapter Two: Like Fire And Powder**

Bonnie knew she was only torturing herself by reading Elena's diary but she had so little left over of her friend…sighing as more tears fell she pulled her legs up to rest the book on. Elena's squiggly scrawls made her heart ache and the longing became painfully acute – like the point of an arrow sticking out from her heart. She had all of Elena's journals and she'd kept them hidden from everyone else, except Jeremy but he never even looked at them even though Bonnie made a point to keep them where he'd find them. She'd only just been discharged from the hospital. They'd run some more tests on her to make sure the transfusion had gone off without a hitch and that she could go back home…where she was ordered to a minimum of three days bed rest. So, there she sat, a bright Saturday morning tracing her fingers over the ink long left behind by Elena Gilbert. She heard the front door open and close and she shut her eyes after stuffing the journal under the pillow behind her, relishing in her last few seconds of solitude. As she reopened her eyes Matt stepped into her bedroom; that signature look of sad affection in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," he said as he came to sit on the bed with her, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, "I had to take Vicki back – she got sick everywhere and Caroline said that she'd keep me posted, but even so I should have –" Bonnie shook her head as she settled against his shoulder.

"Someone needs to look after Vicki," Bonnie said softly, a faraway look in her eyes as she fiddled with the Velcro contraption wrapped around her sprained wrist, "Besides, Jer and Care were there when I woke up after the transfusion…Grams too, so I was in good hands." She felt him nod and then sigh as he sank further into the headboard.

"How bad are the battle scars?" He asked after a few moments. She looked up at him and shook her head with a smile on her face.

"Sprained wrist, two wounds on my neck, bruises on my shoulder and stomach…they were surprised I didn't break any bones." She said easily and Matt tensed. "Matt I'm _fine_."

"You realise none of us are going anywhere alone anymore now right?" The boy asked, moving to look her in the eye, "Especially at night…the thought of anything more happening to one of us –"

"Matt –"

"Bonnie, I'm serious, look; I get it, accidents happen. But an _animal_ attack? It's entirely avoidable so we're _going_ to avoid it." Bonnie bit her bottom lip to keep from saying anything back. Nothing could stop Matt from worrying before so it was now officially a lost cause – he'd be on high-alert…for who knows _how_ long. Maybe forever.

"Okay." She said after a while, so long he'd thought she'd zoned out again or something, "I suppose there's no better time to start than _now_ right?" Standing up she ignored his narrowed eyes and waved him off as he made to speak, "I still want to go to the cemetery."

"Bon you're supposed to be on bed-rest." He reminded her even as he stood to his feet to get her coat from her cupboard while she pulled on her sneakers. Grinning, the girl pulled up her hair into a high ponytail and stood upright as he held out her favourite jacket to her.

"Walking around a grave isn't exactly strenuous exercise." Bonnie quipped lightly as she stuck her arms into her jacket, "Come on, before Jer wakes up." Nodding to her he reached out to her and hugged her quickly. She relaxed into his hold for a moment, but pulled away when it dredged up too many flashbacks – like the memory of him hugging her the same way as Elena's coffin was lowered to the ground. They shared a quasi-smile, knowing they were both thinking of the same thing before they walked out of her house and down to his truck. It was still early so the street was quiet. But they did this every Saturday morning, she and Matt and Bonnie wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p>Stefan hadn't gone back to the boarding house since Damon had all but thrown Zach's head at him and thrown him aside like a flimsy doll. Walking around the cemetery he slowly made his way to the Salvatore mausoleum. He needed a plan; a new one. He'd come back to Mystic Falls to start over but he should have known better. Damon always had a knack for ruining the simplest of things. Stefan knew, at the end of the day that Damon would never hurt him, but it was everyone else that the younger Salvatore was worried about. The bright blonde girl who looked so sad and so happy all at once, her best friend, the girl with the fiercest green eyes he'd ever seen…the way she'd flopped around in his arms like slightest breeze would just blow her away like a falling leaf and her kid brother who looked like he needed a quick smack to the head and a warm hug. They all deserved better than this and Stefan didn't know how to save them. Because he <em>knew<em> Damon, and Damon was here for a reason, and claim as he'd like that it was a family reunion Stefan knew better. He'd learned the hard way to always expect the worst when it came to Damon because Damon made a point of reminding the world just how ruthless he could be. Stefan felt it in his gut that it had something to do with the girl, Elena, he'd found out from Caroline the night before, who was a spitting image of Damon's Katherine. The same seething vampire mistress who'd taken it upon herself to stretch and ruin an already tumultuous relationship between two brothers – because her misery obviously wasn't enough. Letting out an angry roar the boy kicked a hole into the ground, sucking in a sharp breath when he watched a thin fissure splinter through the earth for a further three metres. Groaning as he wiped at his face he shoved his hands in his pockets before freezing where he stood.

"…Hang on I think I forgot – dang it, I did –" someone said and there was a movement, a ruffle of a jacket as someone turned and Stefan perked up, "I brought flowers but they're in the backseat of the truck."

"I'll be fine Matt," a feminine voice said and Stefan recognised it immediately as Bonnie's, "I'll be by the site…don't _worry_," the girl chuckled, "_go_." Stefan made his way to her voice and she soon came into view, still smiling as she walked with her injured wrist raised at a more comfortable angle and the other fiddling with the ends of the dressing around her neck from where Damon had bitten her – he'd bitten Bonnie to send a message to Stefan…a message Stefan had yet to decipher. Bonnie was looking down as she walked but she must have sensed eyes on her because she looked up just as Stefan had turned to stare at the ground. They were both in black trench coats and dark denim jeans, the colours making their respective eye colours stand out vibrantly against the unseasonably cold morning.

"…_Stefan_, right?" she asked when he turned to look at her. He nodded, hands still in his pockets as he met her halfway, a nondescript grave stone between them. "Thank you…" she went on, her eyes not quite being able to hold his as she sighed sadly, "For last night, I mean –"

"I'm just glad you're safe," Stefan said, cutting her off gently, "Really, there's no need to thank me for something anyone would have done." Bonnie looked at him, her mouth pressed in an awkward smile as she processed his tone.

"Well, from a complete stranger it means a little more somehow," she said, sticking her thin arm out to his, "Which reminds me, I'm Bonnie Bennett." Stefan smiled a small smile and shook her hand, frowning when she jerked it away with a gasp. "Sorry," she stammered, "How rude of me, I think you must have shocked me or something…sneakers or friction, you know…Uh, I have to, uhm –"

"Bon!" Matt called out and the girl spun around, waving him over. "There you are," the boy said walking until they stood shoulder to shoulder as he looked at Stefan, sticking out his hand the two boys shook as a way of greeting before stuffing their hands back into their coats, "Stefan Salvatore, right?" Matt went on, smiling when the boy nodded, "Look man, thank you for helping Bonnie out last night…_seriously_ –"

"Don't mention it," Stefan said with a quick smile, his eyes darting to Bonnie who was looking at him strangely, "I'll leave you two to it then; I have my own respects to pay." Matt nodded, already moving forward when Bonnie made a sound of hesitation.

"Stefan, could I talk to you for a second?" Bonnie asked, shooting Matt a reassuring smile when he looked at her in question, "It's …about Caroline, I'll be quick I promise." Matt looked between the two of them and shrugged, walking a few feet away where the Gilbert graves were. Bonnie looked at her friend and then at Stefan before she pulled him even further away by the crook of his elbow. Stefan wasn't quite sure what to make of her behaviour but went along with it in any case. Little did he know he was no longer dealing with Bonnie Bennett at all. When they were far enough away she yanked away like she'd been burned.

"What are you doing back here?" Bonnie hissed her face hard and angry. Stefan stammered a little, utterly confused. "_Speak_ vampire." The girl growled, her voice sounding so unlike he'd come to remember it but so _familiar_ at the same time. Stefan's eyes ballooned as the fateful word left her mouth.

"_What_? Bonnie, I don't know what you're talking about." Stefan whispered hotly, peeking over his shoulder at her friend who was luckily still preoccupied. Bonnie smirked then, reminding her so much of Damon in that moment and he watched as her green eyes turned brown, her face turned oval and mouth flattened to a smooth curve as opposed to the blushing cupid's bow she usually had. "…Emily?" he gasped as he finally recognised the new face in front of him. "Wha – _How_?"

"Never mind that," Bonnie spat after her face returned to normal though she still spoke with Emily's voice, "You need to leave, now."

"I can't."

"I'll _make_ you."

"_Damon's here_." Bonnie's face turned horror stricken.

"He fed on her to antagonise you." Bonnie surmised in a clipped tone, her lip curling into a snarl, "And he will _pay_."

"_What_?" Stefan asked, reaching his arm out to touch her when Bonnie blinked and seemed to fall back into herself and immediately frowned at Stefan's hand on her. He recoiled and tried to make a swift recovery. "…Sorry, I was just asking if you were okay, you blanked out there for a bit." Bonnie fumbled and smiled, nodding her head as reassuringly as she could. Stefan swallowed nervously, wholly unprepared for the shit-storm he knew was coming. "I should, I should go." He stammered and she nodded.

"Me too." She said, still a bit taken aback and confused. He smiled then, as best as he could and hurried off. He had to talk to Damon - and _now_. Bonnie's eyes followed him as he practically ran away from her, leaving an unsettling sensation in her belly, one that she quickly shoved down and made her way to Matt.

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><p>Sheila Bennett was angry. Scratch that, she was furious. <strong>Livid<strong>. On the brink of killing someone, or rather some_thing_. She knew the day would come and the comet would change it all but she couldn't help that she'd harboured such a grudge against it that it had driven her to madness. There was a reason she drank so much, a reason she'd fallen in on herself the way she had even though she'd made a point to be the best grandmother she could be for Bonnie. Her dear Bonnie…sucking in a breath as she tore through her archives she thought back to the onus placed on the shoulders of the Bennetts and how it had torn Bonnie's chances of having a normal life, a normal family to shreds. The spell that bound them under its curse, the same spell that ripped them apart and the same spell that would surely be the death of them all. The spell that started with Emily Bennett. Sheila grunted as she heaved the leather bound book out of the trunk and gripped it to her chest as she clamoured downstairs to her living room. Leafing through it she thought back to what her own mother had had to explain to her, and how she'd soon be having the same talk with Bonnie. Because Bonnie was the last one that fell into the timeline of the curse and it ate at Sheila that she wasn't the only one who'd have to bear this burden. Her fingers trailed over the thick raised ink as she read over the spell itself. There was an image of a clear circle at the very top of the page – a full moon. Just underneath a comet was drawn flying across the page, curling under the moon. Below that were the fateful words:

_The Stars and Blood of the Bennetts_

It had been their best kept secret until Emily Bennett; until she'd been forced to hide and entomb vampires to protect them against the townspeople. The Bennett's had stars they could channel with their magic, periodic comets that could mark eras where their powers were strongest. This allowed them to unbind strong spells, unbind curses, right wrongs or implement spells of their own with an infallible efficacy. But since Emily the mates of the vampires or their kin had hounded her to undo the spell, not believing her when she said she no longer could. She was killed within months and the vampires made it no secret that they would hunt down every Bennett they could to undo the spell and reunite them with their loved ones. But soon they discovered the truth behind Emily's words, they found out the truth about the _Bennett Stars_, so they relented, waiting, literally for the stars to align to reunite them with the entombed vampires.

The comet set to pass in little over a month was the first one since Emily had bound the tomb and that meant that the vampires were coming back. They were coming back for the Bennett family. Lucy had long fled, Abby had made a point to let her powers dwindle so that she'd be safe, though she bolted anyway and that left Sheila and Bonnie, poor Bonnie who hadn't even come into her powers yet. Poor Bonnie who had already been attacked by some blasted vampire. She knew that had they known who Bonnie was, they would never have harmed her the way they had, not without threatening her at least, which meant they'd had other motivations. Motivations she was morbidly grateful for. The fewer vampires that knew about her being a Bennett the better. She knew the concealment spell she'd placed on Bonnie when she turned a mere ten years old was waning now and she needed to reseal it. She wouldn't allow Bonnie to be sucked into this mess, she would bear the brunt of whatever was coming and she'd smile about it. It was too late for her but Bonnie deserved better. Bonnie Bennett deserved the world.

* * *

><p>Stefan stepped into the boarding house, heading straight for the living room where he was sure Damon would be, guzzling bourbon and gloating about his most recent display of power. Damon spun around, his blue eyes glittering with cheer and mischief at his younger brother's arrival.<p>

"Hello brother." Damon said, with a flourish of his hand that housed a tumbler of bourbon. Stefan stared in response. "What? No hug?"

"Why are you here?" Stefan replied, his voice low and angry, "And don't lie to me." Damon sucked air through his teeth and tisked at Stefan's obvious attitude as he put his tumbler down. Sighing he moved to clasp his hands behind his back and began to pace slowly.

"Seeing as you're insistent on being a pest I suppose I should explain my arrival." Damon began, "Now I know you think that it was me following you but it's not, though that may have been an accelerant," sucking in a breath he turned to grin at Stefan, a smile so pure and sincere that it sent chills down the undead boy's spine, "I'm here for Katherine." He said and Stefan frowned. Then it clicked.

"Damon, that wasn't _her_ and she's dead."

"The doppelganger you mean?" Damon asked and Stefan fumbled, "Yes, it's a shame about her, I heard about it on the news some time ago; she was rather beautiful though I myself am biased."

"…The tomb." Stefan realised. "It's been bound for years Damon, there's no way to open it, you know that." Damon's face hardened then.

"No I don't," he snapped, "And neither do you, you know less than me…See, I'm here to get my Katherine back and all I need is _one_ thing." Stefan knew in his gut that the moment he feared had finally reared its head.

"…To kill everyone?" Stefan guessed his jaw tight with anger. Damon snickered.

"The girl?" Damon guessed, "Call it a welcome home gift; I know how fond you are of traipsing around the woods. You should know better, she should have as well."

"Touch her _again_ Damon…" The elder Salvatore laughed.

"I don't care about her," Damon interrupted, "And you'd do well to not find out the extent of my indifference to human life by provoking me with idle threats."

"Then _what_?" Stefan snapped.

"I need a Bennett witch." Damon replied easily, "I know there's one around her somewhere and I can't wait to finally meet her." He smiled then, as if a happy thought had passed through him, "Once I have _her_ where I need her and once I get everything in order I'll get my Katherine back and _then_ dear brother, you'll never have to worry about me again. I'll leave you to decide where your affections lie; the blonde or the brunette," Damon held up his hands mimicking the act of weighing the two options, "I'd suggest you go after the blonde, the other girl's blood is pure _fire_ and she'd no doubt send you off the rails again and we both know she's far prettier with her head on her shoulders." Stefan was too overcome with shock with all the new information falling through his head but all he really latched onto in that moment was Damon talking about Bonnie's blood. It broke something in him and he growled in the back of his throat. Damon cackled, full of glee at Stefan's anger, walking passed his little brother with a pat to his shoulder.

"_Don't_ touch them," Stefan turned to say, "_Any_ of them." Damon spun around and began walking backwards to the stairs.

"Stay out of my way and you have my word." With a wink he flashed upstairs and Stefan let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd held inside of him. He didn't even need to breathe; he wasn't too sure why he felt so desperate to do it now. Stefan tugged at his hair with his fingers in frustration. He needed to think of a way to fix this before it all blew apart.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Who doesn't love a Catch 22?<strong>_

**Stay excellent.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: **This is unedited, Merry Post-Christmas splendour to us all. Thank you for your _wonderful_ responses to this.

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><p><em><strong>Dear Diary,<strong>_

_**Tonight Bonnie almost died. As usual I ignored everyone's bitching and decided to get high. When I was about to try my hand at flirting with Vicki Donovan just one more time I heard Caroline's voice shouting something. Her voice was more hysterical than usual, and that's saying something, but it was that tone in her voice that caught my attention. And that's when I looked up and saw Bonnie. My heart missed two beats, two, I swear it, before it went crazy. I ran over to them and started yelling stuff; my eyes glued to the hole in Bonnie's neck and how wrong she looked as she just hung there, from Stefan's arms…it still makes me uncomfortable thinking about it. But I promised Elena that when I wrote in this thing I'd be honest, so I'm trying my best. And the truth is that if I lose Bonnie I'll have nothing else, no one I need and what happens then? What happens when she dies and leaves me? She always promises me that's she's not going anywhere but it wasn't until tonight that I realised she had no right to promise me that – she couldn't promise me that. Because no one has that kind of control, not me not her, not even her Grams who I'm sure could make just about anything else possible with the way she believed. But not that. Not even Grams could promise me that and it hurts. It hurts because I know it's inevitable and I don't know if I'll survive it…and then I wonder if I'm meant to survive it? I couldn't and I won't.**_

_**I guess all I can do is make sure we're all safe for as long as possible. She shouldn't have to spend her days worrying about me, she has her own life, and it shouldn't always have her watching me puke and cry about my feelings. So I'll try and be better. For Bonnie and for Elena. Because I love them and it's what they want for me.**_

_**Jeremy.**_

**Chapter Three: Better The Devil You Know**

Bonnie was digging around in her school locker when someone cleared their throat behind her. Turning she grinned as she locked eyes with Tyler who was standing there looking like he was on trial. Bonnie rolled her eyes when she realised why he looked so sheepish.

"I'm fine." She said and hugged him, "Really," she insisted when he pulled away and held onto her shoulders. Tyler Lockwood was a notorious douche but the people he cared about meant the world to him and Bonnie was one of them.

"I can't believe I wasn't there." He mumbled as she shut her locker and walked with him, "Matt and I took Vicki home and then I had to double back to get Jake and you _know_ how he is, by the time I got home –"

"Ty I'm okay, I got lucky," Bonnie said, cutting him off gently, "Care was with me and Jer too, Grams came to the hospital so I wasn't anywhere _near_ alone." He nodded but he was still brooding. She bumped his shoulder gently with hers and their eyes locked as she asked him a silent question. He nodded his head and so did she. They were both thinking about Elena in that moment. "Wanna do something after school? I know you have practice but I have cheer so maybe we could all go to the Grille afterwards? Have milkshakes and be stupid for an hour or two?" Tyler nodded.

"Yeah I'm game," he said as he nodded at a few of his classmates as he passed them before looking back to Bonnie, "I'll bring Jake too, he's driving me crazy, the boy needs some fresh air." Bonnie laughed.

"We can stick him and Jer together," she suggested and Tyler gave her a look, "Hey, if you and I can be friends then so can they, Jer's just shy and Jake loves goading him, they'll move past it eventually." Tyler looked sceptical.

"Bon, you and I are completely different to Jer and Jake; for starters, we're both hotter and before you dispute that just remember that half the favours I say yes to is because you pull that damn puppy face at me all the time." She wiggled her brows and giggled, "I very much doubt that Jeremy will have the same effect on him." Bonnie laughed at the image in her head.

"If they start throwing stuff at each other I'll put them in time out." She said as she got to the door of her first class. "See you at lunch?" He nodded and bumped his knuckles to her chin.

"See ya." He called over his shoulder and Bonnie stepped into class, immediately catching Caroline's eye and smiling. She walked over but felt someone else's gaze on her. She looked and locked eyes with Stefan and she gave him a smile too, smaller but a smile all the same. Caroline shifted awkwardly as Bonnie came to sit in the seat next to her. It had been Elena's and Caroline herself hadn't wanted to touch it but Bonnie wanted nothing more. In that it was clear how differently they mourned. Bonnie reached out and squeezed the blonde's hand before turning to the front of the class. A few minutes in she turned to Stefan and he looked over at her as well. For a few seconds they held each other's gaze, both of them trying to suss the other out, realising she may be being inappropriate Bonnie looked away in time for Mr Tanner to call her out and ask her a question she most certainly did not have the answer to. His smug face looked to Bonnie expectantly and she felt her face flush with the heat of embarrassment. Stefan's voice came in response just after Mr Tanner had admonished her for slacking off in his class. Stefan recounted a number of people that had died in some fire a few years ago and Mr Tanner disagreed, saying that the numbers were wrong. Stefan remained cool and further fleshed out his argument and then to top it all off, ended by insulting Mr Tanner's sources by calling them 'outdated' and in need of corrections. Tanner narrowed his eyes but said nothing as the kids in the class gasped, snickered and whispered among themselves. Bonnie looked at Stefan then and mouthed a 'thank you' that he returned with a slight incline of his head. Turning back to her best friend Bonnie widened her eyes and Caroline mouthed an 'I know right' and they both raised their brows but turned back to face the front of the class where Tanner was scrawling on the black board. Bonnie still felt a bit strange around Stefan but with Caroline's obviously googly eyes and him saving her ass twice now, she had to give him the benefit of the doubt. She had bigger problems anyway. Like her strange dreams and the fact that she finally figured out the word she'd been spluttering to Stefan before she passed out.

_Vampire_. The same creatures her Grams had been yammering on about for months now.

* * *

><p>Jeremy was feeling out of sorts today. He knew it was because his aunt was in town and she wanted to see him today after school. She wanted to meet him, convince him to stay with her and that was the last thing he wanted. The last thing he needed but he was scared that all the legal bullshit was on her side and that he'd have no choice. It made him edgy and angry that she could have that power of him. Yes, it sounded childish seeing as he wasn't even leaving Mystic Falls but he <em>was<em> moving back into his old house – another thing he didn't want. Pressing the heel of his hand into his eye he sighed heavily. He tried to remember whatever pseudo-inspirational spiel Bonnie had given him as they drove to school but he couldn't. She wanted him to at least meet his aunt but he didn't even want to entertain the idea of it because of everything he was scared it came with. Bonnie had given him her patent-pending _Mother-Look_ and he'd huffed petulantly until she hugged him.

"If she really cares about you she'll know what's best for you and she'll give that to you." Bonnie had said, "And if she doesn't she'll have _me_ to deal with." The pencil in Jeremy's hand snapped and the girl sitting next to him in class started a little at the sound. He looked up and looked at her apologetically. She shrugged and sort of smiled, going back to her books. Jeremy looked down at his book, knowing that it should have been full of equations. Instead it was covered in creatures; in angels and demons and his wiry handwriting. He didn't want to keep burdening Bonnie but he also couldn't stop relying on her. Leaning back in his chair he tried to clear his head but it didn't seem to work. He just wanted this day to end.

* * *

><p>Damon Salvatore was a vampire on a mission. The same mission he'd had since he'd turned. Well, besides volleying between ignoring Stefan and pissing him off. His mission was simple: get Katherine back. This in turn entailed a long list of things that he needed, the most important being a Bennett witch. Ever since Emily he'd dedicated his time to cataloguing the whole lot of them. <em>Every<em> descendent. The only one he had a snowball's chance in hell with was the only left in Mystic Falls. She had the book which meant she had the spell and she most certainly had the blood and soon they'd all have the star and then _he_ would have his mate back. And then all the misery will have been worth it. '_The ends justify the means_' he'd said, to every one of his victims, his informants, his flings, his brother too. Because in his mind it did; the moment he was reunited with Katherine Pierce, Katarina Petrova, he would leave it all behind him for her, once more. He didn't care if he never saw anyone besides her ever again; it was more than enough for him. She was more than enough, sometimes a little too much, but it made it easier still for himself to subsume his mind within the memory of her. She was so easy to get lost in and Damon adored every moment. He revelled in his love for her, in every facet of her. As it stood it was the driving force behind his entire existence – she was all there was to him. The shreds of humanity that lingered from his human years were lost in the crevices of his soul, making more room for Katherine. There was only room for Katherine. This was how he found himself outside Sheila Bennett's house, pushing out his sensors to gage a feel for the witch as she went about her mundane routine. She cooked, cleaned, chanted, chewed her thumbnail and frowned, staring off unseeingly for moments at a time as if someone terribly concerning kept occurring to her and she didn't know what to do about it. She would also peek through windows constantly and Damon smiled. She knew the time was coming and this reaffirmed hope. Sheila was the key and he didn't care what he had to do but he'd do it. He'd do whatever it took to make sure she undid the tomb spell and he got Katherine out. He'd kill the other vampires for Sheila; convince her she was safest complying with him. He didn't give a shit about the others that wanted their loved ones; he'd kill them all if they so much as threatened Sheila and he'd used that as leverage to convince her to unbind the tomb spell. And she'd do it too, no one said no to Damon Salvatore.

And if they did they died. Damon had plenty of options; Sheila was just the most convenient as it stood. He knew of Lucy and Abby and he knew how skittish and untrained they were but the comet made that argument null and void. Any Bennett became exponentially more powerful by the passing of the comet for a good three days and he'd happily use that to his advantage. And with Abby two towns over while Lucy was always a phone call away. Smirking he walked away from Sheila's house. He'd let her stew, he had to do a survey of this backwards town, make sure nothing else got in his way. Checking his watch he realised that his kid brother must be out of school, grinning he hopped into his Camaro that was parked a few houses down and sped off to the town's nearest watering hole.

* * *

><p>Bonnie was extraordinarily uncomfortable. Jenna Sommers stared at the two teenagers in front of her for the longest time as they sat in the booth opposite her, the empty table between them a testament to everyone's sudden lack of appetite. At first Jenna was appalled, watching as Jeremy grabbed the girl's hand and clung to it, he couldn't live with his girlfriend! And he was so <em>young<em>! But then as she watched the way the girl, Bonnie, faffed over Jeremy, rubbed his shoulder and nodded every time he looked at her with a small smile on her face…she realised something. Bonnie was his sister. Like Elena had been. She looked at Bonnie then, really looked, her eyes narrowing as she pursed her lips. No one had said a word as yet since their introductions were made. Jeremy had all but thrown a fit when Jenna asked for some privacy, saying through clenched teeth that he would leave if she wouldn't let Bonnie stay. So Jenna had pressed her mouth into a smile and sat them down.

"He's living with you?" Jenna asked suddenly, her eyes still on Bonnie.

"Yes, me and my dad." Bonnie purposely left out the fact that her father had about as much use as monopoly money but she didn't want anything getting in the way of Jeremy living with her.

"And you," Jenna sucked in a breath, "You were friends with Elena?" Bonnie nodded.

"I practically grew up with the Gilberts, Miranda and Grayson were my family too, just like Jeremy." She squeezed the boy's hand again, noticing him tense in her periphery. Jenna nodded, chewing her lip.

"I'd like to meet your father." Jenna said, tapping her nails on the table, "I understand that Jeremy doesn't want to move out, never mind move back into his old house but I do have a responsibility to him, to make sure he's safe." Bonnie nodded, "And if we're going to make your dad's guardianship permanent then I'll have to make sure that Jeremy is in the best possible care and I'll need to discuss the matters with your father personally." Bonnie's heart skipped a beat. Jeremy's head snapped up.

"You'd do that?" The boy gasped. Jenna looked at him then and the smile she sent his way broke both Bonnie's and Jeremy's hearts. She reached over the table and put her hand over Bonnie's hand as it held his.

"Jeremy you're my _family_," she said, "I want whatever is best for you and Liz told me before I got here, how close you all were and it makes sense now that I can see it with my own eyes." She blinked away a tear and sighed, "I'll be the first to admit how nervous I was when I realised someone would have to take care of you and legally I know that responsibility falls to me but I can never replace your family…I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not about to get between you and the family you still have left. I could never do that, I guess all I can ask is that you'll still visit me, when you're ready. I have moved here permanently, I started work today actually so I'm not going anywhere but I'm here to help you not to hurt you." Jeremy looked like he was going to pass out from relief and then he became sombre.

"Thank you." Bonnie said her eyes wide and glistening and Jenna nodded. "This means the world to him and I don't think either of us ever considered how incredible you could be, how incredible you _are_." Jeremy swallowed.

"Thank you," he said, seriously, "I was so scared, but, I mean you're so nice and I didn't even think about the kind of person you'd be I was so worried you'd just try and tell me what to do." Jenna giggled a little.

"Luckily for you I'm the furthest thing." Jenna assured him with a wide smile that Jeremy returned tentatively. She patted his hand and moved away. Digging in her purse she pulled out a corner of paper and scribbled something on it, handing it to Bonnie with a nod. "This is my number, have your father call me sometime this week, whenever he can so the two of us can meet." Bonnie nodded, immediately putting the page away safely. Jenna sighed and stood to her feet. "I'll leave you two to it," she said sweetly, "Call me whenever you want to Jeremy, okay?"

"Okay." The boy said, standing to his feet as well. He and Bonnie moved out of the booth. "I'll walk you out." Jeremy said and Bonnie smiled, Grams drilling his manners into him was finally paying off. Bonnie watched them walk away but then her ears picked up the obnoxious sounds of the Lockwood brothers laughing. She turned to see them mucking around at a nearby pool table. Rolling her eyes she made her way to them, bumping Caroline's hip as she passed her; the girl was happily trapped in a conversation with Stefan.

"How'd it go?" Tyler asked around a mouthful of French fry. Bonnie nodded and exhaled as she stood next to him.

"Good," she said, "Surprisingly good, Jenna's pretty amazing actually." Tyler made a sound of approval and indifference in the back of his throat. "But he's still staying with me so that's even better." He grinned then, he was happy for them.

"That's great Bon," he said cheerfully, as he took another shot and sank another ball, "Almost as great as this _ass-kicking_ I'm giving my little brother." Jacob scoffed loudly as he stood on the other end of the pool table with a cue in his hand.

"You sank two balls Ty," Jake said, "I'm not surprised that you find that impressive considering its two _more_ than you yourself happen to have." Bonnie chuckled as she moved over to ruffle Jacob's hair. He was a year younger than Tyler and he gave him hell every day. They both had onyx eyes, tanned skin, short tempers and brilliant smiles that they always used to their advantage.

"You get feistier every time I see you." Bonnie appraised him and he fluttered his long eyelashes at her while he beamed. "You're catching up to Tyler quickly." She winked and he rolled his eyes while his older brother laughed.

"You're just saying that 'cause he was your first kiss." Jacob accused and Bonnie laughed.

"And you're just jealous 'cause you wish I was yours." Bonnie said with a sly smirk and snickered as his skin warmed. She leaned over the table and high-fived Tyler. Turning she was about to call Caroline and Stefan over when she saw Stefan turn and lock eyes with a man walking towards him. Bonnie's voice disappeared somewhere in her throat – he was possibly the single most perfect human she'd ever seen. His eyes slipped from Stefan's gaze to hers and her heart stuttered and he smirked before looking back to Stefan. He stopped between Caroline and Stefan, looking the girl up and down with an air of superiority before turning to Stefan. Bonnie took a step or two towards them, which is why she heard the man's next few words with aching clarity. And also why something very dreadful flooded her memory.

"Hello brother." The dark haired man said with a grin and Bonnie felt her chest contract. She knew that voice and she knew those eyes and she suddenly had a _very_ big problem.

* * *

><p><strong>Stay excellent.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**Today I decided that I like Stefan Salvatore. I know that mourning for as long as I have and considering all the things that should be important to me hold more weight than the attention of a boy, but…he's just so beautiful. And smart, he's really smart – not the kind of smart that's pretentious or haughty or anything, but the kind of smart that makes you think, you know? I met him when I was at Elena's locker, making sure the flowers were fresh and that no one had touched the photographs, even though I had printed spares anyway. Since then we've spoken a few times; at the party in the woods, classes, in between classes and I'm seeing him after school at the Grille today. Jeremy's meeting his aunt today so we all want to be there, in the background at least, for support. Ever since the animal attack I've been trying to reign in the want to steal my mom's cuffs and hook me and Bonnie together. I know she hates being smothered but now all I'm doing is worrying about her. With her dad never really being there (he doesn't even know she almost died that's how long he's been gone this time) and this whole thing with Jeremy's aunt…She's going through a lot and I don't know how to help her. But Stefan said the most profound thing to me when I was fretting about it, he said:**_

"_**Love her. That's all she needs. Isn't that all anyone needs? To know they're loved?" and I was like, yes. Yes that is all anyone needs – see how smart he is? It's like he's some old wise man trapped in a hot body. So I'm going to love Bonnie, as best as I can and I'm going to keep supporting her and reassuring her, because that's what you do when you love someone. Now that that's figured out I'll have to focus my efforts on figuring out how to handle a crush of this magnitude. Wish me luck.**_

_**Caroline.**_

**Chapter Four: A Kiss With A Fist**

Bonnie's skin broke out in goose bumps and she felt light headed but she had more important things to worry about. Like the fact that she was gaping at a cold blooded killer. A vampire. And her best friend was standing near him, oh god, no, not Caroline…As she moved to walk forward Jeremy collided with her and caught her when she almost went flying backwards.

"Jer," she gasped, standing upright, her eyes flicking between his face and Caroline's, "Get us a booth and some menus, I'm gonna see who else wants to have an early dinner here, okay?"

"Sure, yeah." With that he was off and she went on with her mission. She walked right up to Caroline, wedging herself between Stefan and her sister. Stefan's face flashed to hers and a panicked expression crossed his features like lightning, there and gone, like she'd imagined it.

"Care, you sticking around for dinner with me and Jer?" Bonnie asked, making sure to keep her voice calm and light, it worked; Caroline looked at her and nodded smiling brightly.

"Sounds good, before we go though, you should meet someone." Bonnie sucked in a breath as Caroline turned her to face the man she'd been avoiding. "This is Damon Salvatore," Caroline said sweetly, "its Stefan's brother." Bonnie wanted to scream, she knew she should greet him or smile but she was frozen. "Damon this is –"

"_Bonnie_," Stefan cut Caroline off, "She goes to school with me." Damon grinned at the green eyed girl and crossed his arms as he smirked down at her, enjoying the way she was squirming. He was under the assumption that she found him attractive, which although it wasn't entirely unfounded couldn't be farther from the real reason. Bonnie curled her closed mouth into a smile and then looked at Stefan with a similar expression.

"It's uh, nice to meet you," Bonnie said, with a curt nod and then she looked back at Stefan, "See you at school." The younger brother nodded while Damon's eyes stayed glued to her face. Stefan locked eyes with Caroline, giving her a disarming smile that made her eyelashes flutter as she scrambled to return it before the two girls walked away. As they did they both heard Damon speak.

"My, my, my there must be something in the water here. They're beautiful." Caroline couldn't help but blush as she and Bonnie made their way to the booth. Bonnie almost sagged with relief as she settled into the booth next her brother. But it was a small victory getting Caroline away from them, it wasn't going to last very long and Bonnie needed more weapons in her arsenal than babbling awkwardness. She needed to speak to her Grams. In the meantime –

"Who wants to share a pizza?" she asked as she opened a menu, laughing when the Lockwood brothers clamoured into the booth as well, Tyler taking the menu out of Caroline's hands making her call out in annoyance. Bonnie looked around the table and over at where Matt was serving another booth of customers. These people were her family and she protected her family, no matter what. It was the '_what_' that had her out of her depths. Before Damon had attacked her she thought her Grams had a mental problem and now she was quickly realising that instead of ignoring her grandmother's ramblings, she should have been taking notes.

"I'm not sharing pizza with you," Jake said as he sat next to her, "I'm still mad at you." Grinning Bonnie leaned over to him and kissed him quickly on the cheek laughing when he broke out into a grin.

"Better now?" she asked playfully and he nodded triumphantly.

"_Much_."

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><p>"What the hell are you even <em>doing<em> here?" Stefan snapped as they walked to a booth far away from the group of teenagers, Stefan hoping the early dinner rush would sound out any and all parts of their conversation so that Damon wouldn't learn who Bonnie was. Stefan had to make sure he never found out.

"I'm here to acclimate brother," Damon said easily as he slid into the empty booth, "I am staying her for a month at least so I may as well get acquainted."

'No, you may as well find a _crypt_ to fall into until you leave because I'm not letting you toy with anyone when you inevitably get bored." Damon grinned.

"This does resemble a playground doesn't it?" Damon observed, amusement riddling every facet of him, "…_Bonnie_, I like her, she's lovely, prettier with the lights on, and not many can say that." Stefan's hands clenched, the action not going unnoticed by his brother. "What is with your obsession with protecting her? You're really clinging to it," Damon mused, "Is it because you're trying to convince herself that if you see this possession over her as protection that you won't give into your feelings and that way you can have them both? Is that it? If so I daresay I'm impressed." Stefan wanted to smack Damon but decided that if that was what Damon thought then he'd let him. It was a small price to pay to keep him away from Bonnie. And it would also help him get to the bottom of why Damon even needed a Bennett to get his Katherine back in the first place. He had a lot of catching up to do. In the meantime, he needed to distract Damon.

"You said you'd leave her alone." Stefan snapped. Damon chortled unapologetically.

"Yes, but I didn't say that she'd leave _me_ alone." Damon pointed out with a dark gleam in his otherwise brilliant eyes. Stefan's chest constricted.

"Compel her and I _break_ you." Stefan hissed lowly, his words barely discernable through the growl in his voice. Damon waved away the waitress that had sought them out before locking eyes with his brother. Damon leaned back, deciding that now was a good a time as any to ruin something else of Stefan's.

"I'll do one better," Damon said, the wickedness pouring out of every available surface of his, "You want to irritate me, then I irritate _you_. It's simple really." Stefan grew wary instantly.

"…Whatever you're thinking, _don't_."

"Idle threats Steffie," Damon half sang, "And it's nothing but a kiss." Stefan's eyebrows flew heavenward.

"A _kiss_?" He spluttered, "What part of 'leave her alone' is escaping you?" Damon giggled, _actually_ giggled.

"Not me silly," Damon said, leaning forward then to lock eyes with Stefan, "_You_." Stefan frowned and then it dawned on him. And his immediate reaction was to say no. It was to say that he happened to be rather fond of Caroline, with her quirks and vibrant imagination. That he didn't think of Bonnie that way, not really. That kissing Bonnie would ruin anything he may have had with her best friend. Instead he sucked in a breath because at the end of the day, kissing Bonnie and losing Caroline meant that they'd both be safe and that's all that Stefan wanted. And Damon knew that. The _bastard_.

"You're sick you know that? There is nothing you could stand to gain from this." Stefan replied as coolly as possible. Damon pursed his lips.

"I beg to differ, I happen to find your discomfiture and possible demise rather amusing."

"You would you piece of shit." Damon tisked at that.

"No need for name calling, besides you're dawdling." Stefan frowned.

"You want me to kiss her _now_?" He hissed incredulously and Damon nodded, the Cheshire smile wide and glittering.

"Kiss her and I never lay a hand on her again." Stefan knew that that promise would be tossed out of the window the second he learned Bonnie's last name, but if buying time was his only option then he'd take it. Stefan nodded and Damon clapped his hands together, rubbing the palms excitedly. "Make it a good one too; I want her to slap you for it." Damon stood to his feet, "Come on then." Stefan rose to his feet and made his way to Bonnie Bennett.

* * *

><p>"Wait, shut up, they're coming over." Caroline rapped her hand against Tyler's chest excitedly, interrupting his story. Everyone in the booth turned to watch as the Salvatore brother's approached the booth, everyone except Bonnie, she was still fiddling with the corner of her pizza, looking to Jeremy who was staring over her head curiously at Stefan and Damon. She was about to make an excuse to leave when Stefan spoke.<p>

"Bonnie, could I talk to you?" Her head snapped to his face and she felt the attention shift, now moving between her and the younger brother. She looked at him, confused but his expression was so earnest and imploring that she found herself nodding, mindlessly, tapping Jake's shoulder as she made to move past him so that she could stand. As she got her feet she tried to smile to ward off the ever increasing tension among them all when Damon spoke.

"Caroline was it? Could I speak with you?" Now the mood dipped into one of territorialism, the boys in the booth uneasy. Caroline nodded, putting her drink down and moving out of the booth as well. Damon grinned then, "No need to look so grave boys, we'll have your girls back in no time." Bonnie wanted to kick him in the face. She didn't know what they were playing at but she'd make them regret thinking she was nothing but a little game. But she smiled and Tyler, Jake and her brother, nodding reassuringly. "I just need to make sure my little brother is in good hands." With that he winked at Stefan whose face was eerily blank. Damon curled Caroline's arm in the crook of his elbow and patted her forearm, "After all the girl who grabs my brother's attention deserves a fresh soda and a quick once-over from his older brother." Bonnie and Stefan watched in horror as Caroline's face lit up; she was officially putty in his hands. Bonnie didn't want her best friend alone with a vampire and Stefan didn't like where Damon was taking things.

"Can we go outside for a second?" Stefan asked, gaining Bonnie's attention and after it flicked over to Caroline and Damon who were headed to the bar where Matt was she nodded. She had some things to say to him as well. The most important of them all being to leave her and her family the _hell_ alone. Stefan lead her out the door and out into the setting sun and he looked so pained when she looked up at him that for a moment she faltered in her impending tirade. They moved a little ways away to avoid being in anyone's way and to put some distance between them and the tables outside.

"Stefan I need to say something –"

"Me too," he cut her off, "Look, I know that I pretty much fell out of the sky and that you have no reason whatsoever to trust me but right now I _need_ you to Bonnie, I really _really_ need you to." She frowned at his words, her fingers playing with the strap on the brace on her wrist.

"Your brother –"

"I'm working on it," Stefan cut her off again, he seemed impatient and edgy, "If it were up to me he wouldn't even _be_ here right now." That prodded at Bonnie's curiosity. Stefan must know then, what his brother is – _obviously_ he did… he must be trying to get rid of him as much as Bonnie was and she dared to let a sense of relief flood her. The same expression flooded over Stefan's face when he saw her relax. Bonnie nodded.

"What do you want?" She asked and then Stefan averted his eyes, like this was the actual part he was dreading. "…_Stefan_?" She took a step or two forward, about to reach out to him but he jerked away. She pulled her hand back, her worry increasing. "Did Damon _do_ something? Whatever it is, I think, I think I can help you, if not me then my Grams, I mean –" If Stefan was in trouble she could try and help him.

"Bonnie," he said her name like it had gotten stuck in his throat, "I know you won't forgive me but I need you to remember that no matter what it seems like, that I'm doing this to fix it, okay? Believe that." Bonnie was about to reach out to him again, assure him that whatever it was couldn't be that bad, even though his brother was a vampire who tried to kill her, they could figure something out when he was on top of her in the next moment. Kissing her.

At first she was frozen stiff. She hadn't been kissed in so long that the entire act felt so alien to her. And then a traitorous part of her curled into the sensation. Then alarm flooded her as their mouths moved together when Caroline's face flooded her mind's eye. With that she jerked back and without thinking used her injured hand to punch him. Three things happened then. Stefan heard her re-fracture her wrist and he wanted to kill Damon in that moment. Caroline gasped as she stood beside Damon and lastly, Bonnie cried out in pain.

"…Bonnie?"

"Stefan what the _hell_?"

"Bonnie are you okay?" Bonnie smacked Stefan's hands away from her and locked eyes with her best friend who was on the verge of tears.

"Caroline," Bonnie began walking towards her but the blonde backed away, shaking her head as tears fell, "Care, _listen_ –"

"_No_ Bonnie." The girl snapped and ran to her car, her tyres screeching against the asphalt as she sped home. Bonnie's head fell down and she let her heart hurt for a few seconds. Then she looked up and glared at the brothers who seemed to be waiting for her to do or say something.

"I don't know what the _hell_ you two think you're playing at," Bonnie said, her green eyes seeming to glow as she all but snarled at them, "But I'm not taking part in any of it." Damon snickered. People began to stare at the three of them, wondering what would happen next.

"Your use has run its course _anyway_ honey, time for you to bow out gracefully." Before Stefan could speak Bonnie was in Damon's face, ignoring the pain shooting up her right arm as she cradled it.

"You'd better watch yourself Damon," Bonnie hissed, "I don't take kindly to be tossed around like someone's plaything and you've done that _twice_ now. I'd watch my back if I were you." She watched his eyes harden and could have sworn they'd begun to change colour when Stefan pulled him away from her.

"You _promised_ Damon." Stefan said, trying to reign in his own want to transform to his vampiric state and just fly Bonnie off to a different state. Damon shrugged out of his hold, his eyes still on Bonnie.

"_You_ better watch yourself little girl." Damon snapped, "We wouldn't want a repeat of the first night we met to happen again, _would_ we?" and then swiftly turned to leave. Bonnie watched him go, her face seething – he wasn't even _denying_ it. She looked to Stefan then.

"_You_," she called brusquely, "You're driving my brother home and me to the hospital and the second Jeremy's out of the car you and I are having a long talk. You got that?" Stefan fumbled for a moment but nodded. She left him no choice but to follow her back into the restaurant. "Come on kiddo, we're leaving," she said as she approached the booth, Jeremy nodded as he stood up, he'd already gotten their food into takeaway boxes. "Bill settled?" he nodded and she returned the motion, swooping in to kiss both Tyler and Jacob's heads, taking her things and heading out.

Bonnie had kept up a good front until Jeremy closed the front door, she'd spun him some story about going to see Caroline, which she knew she had to do in actuality. The minute he closed the front door behind him she let the pain run to the forefront of her acknowledgement and she let out a muffled cry as she covered her mouth and tried to cradled her injured arm on her lap. Stefan started the engine again and sped off to the hospital but then something else occurred to him.

"Bonnie I can fix your wrist." He said, carefully and he felt her cut her eyes to him. Even in his periphery he could see the tears in her eyes and that's when he slammed on the brakes and curved off of the road into park. He could fix _this_ at the very least.

"Stefan I need a _hospital_." Bonnie choked out and he nodded.

"My brother," Stefan began, "He's, he's –"

"The one who attacked me in the woods?" Bonnie provided, locking her eyes on Stefan's angrily, "I _know_ that."

"Then you know what he is." Stefan said seriously and she nodded again. "…Then you know what _I_ am." It took a moment but Bonnie's eyes bulged and then she loud out a piercing scream.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Stefan needs to be honest with Bonnie if he's going to be able to protect her from Damon, they're on the same side and he knows that so he has to keep her safe while also figuring out why his brother needs a Bennett. In the meantime, Sheila's getting ready for battle and a very serious talk with her granddaughter. Review and let me know what you think! XO**

**Stay excellent**


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: **Update anybody? It is unedited and rather lovely, but don't take my word for it XO

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><p><em><strong>Dear Diary, <strong>_

_**My best friend died today. My sister. My stand in mother and father too. One minute they were there and the next minute we were burying them. It's weird because I still hear her voice sometimes, her laugh; it'll blow through my thoughts and distract me. I just got home from the funeral and I'm still expecting her to walk into my room and drop ungracefully on my bed and groan about her math homework, or something Matt said or a fight she and Jeremy had had. I don't wanna go to bed, if I go to bed that means that today's ending, which means that it actually happened. Then tomorrow will come and it'll be the first step to moving on and I'm not ready for that. I need her back. I need Elena. How am I supposed to help Jeremy? How am I supposed to go to class, look at our photos, and find stray items of her clothes in my room without losing my mind? But I know that I'll use these same things to help me hold onto her, the memory of her. I'll have to go to her house soon, fetch Jeremy's things, he hasn't said a word since he crawled up into a ball on my bed and I won't hold that against him. My dad is so far out of his depth he's had to ask Liz to step in. I told her to give Jeremy time, to give me time as well. I don't know how much, but more than a day would be nice before people start expecting things from us. **_

_**Jeremy's aunt was at the funeral. She's moving here and Liz said she has legal precedence over Jeremy but my dad can have temporary guardianship until she officially moves into town. I don't think it's quite hit home with Jeremy yet; any of it for that matter. I want to mourn, more than anything I want to be miserable but the memory of Elena, though it hurts to recall is the same thing that'll keep me going. Elena always saw the best in everything and everyone and I'll be taking a page out of her book. But not today, no. Today I'm going to curl up beside Jeremy and cry. Because it's been the worst day of my life since my mother left.**_

_**Bonnie.**_

**Chapter Five: And Lightning Strikes**

Bonnie was on the brink of asphyxiating herself; her breathing shallow and rushed, as a full blown panic set in. Her eyes were wide and her face was lined with tears, her mouth trembling as she muttered 'no, no, no. no' over and over again. Stefan held his hands out to her in a show of peace but he _had_ also just put on the central locking leaving her with no way to escape.

"Bonnie, the last thing I want to do is hurt you," he swore, "In any way." She cried out in horror when he reached for her. "Just trust me, okay?" He leaned a little closer and by now Bonnie was shaking, she thought she was moments from dying, the searing pain in her wrist all but forgotten in the sudden turn of events. All her bravery and adrenaline from her earlier encounter with Damon had long fled her system, now she was running on reserve. Minimal fight and maximum hysteria. Stefan held her functioning arm, holding her in place. She watched as Stefan raised his own wrist to his mouth and bit down, she herself blubbering as she watched blood spurt into view. "_Drink_." He ordered softly and Bonnie inched away but his hold on her uninjured arm was strong and he moved the bleeding wound to her mouth. "Bonnie, _trust_ me." Operating under the assumption that she was having a horrifying nightmare Bonnie opened her mouth, slightly, gagging when the coppery liquid pooled on and under her tongue. Swallowing she jerked away from him and he let her. He averted his eyes for a few minutes and Bonnie began to feel an odd tingling in her wrist. As if sensing her concern, his hands flew out and then oh so gently inspected her wrist. She watched as he pulled off the Velcro contraption, gingerly held her thin wrist, balancing the weight of it with the tips of his fingers. She didn't feel an ounce of pain, or even discomfort for that matter. "How does it feel?" he asked, making sure to keep his head down and his eyes on the rapid decrease in the swelling of the limb. Bonnie watched his face and his hands, watched how he was handling her and she couldn't help but find it jarring with everything she'd associated with a vampire. In theory at least.

"Better than it did before I first broke it." Bonnie said, her voice low, a stark contrast to her earlier screaming. "So vampire blood is magic then?" He lifted and dropped his shoulders before slowly letting go of her wrist. Bonnie tested it out tentatively, first wiggling her fingers, then turning it side to side and finally rotating the wrist itself. Everything was perfect. "Why did Damon attack me?" she asked, pressing her lips together as she turned to face Stefan who looked like he didn't know if he should turn to her or start the car. He turned to her and sighed.

"In a way that was my fault," Stefan admitted, "My brother likes getting a rise out of me."

"By _attacking_ people?" Bonnie asked, her tone sharp.

"Sometimes, other times he kills them, taunts me, hunts me down himself…"Stefan's eyes grew distant, "He's very creative when it comes to disrupting my life."

"You said you didn't want him here, did he follow you?"

"Yes and no," Stefan answered, "Which reminds me, he can't know what your last name is. _Ever_." Bonnie frowned.

"And why is that exactly?" Stefan grimaced.

"I don't have every detail of it but it doesn't bode well for you, for any Bennett actually." Bonnie's heart stilled.

"My Grams! –"

"Bonnie, I can help," Stefan said, trying to pacify her, "I'm already working on figuring out what it is that he wants from Bennetts and then I'll do whatever it is I need to make sure nothing bad happens. Not to you, your friends or your family." Bonnie frowned at him for the longest time.

"Is that why you kissed me?" She asked, "Damon obviously likes taunting you and he seems partial to tormenting _me_ so he must have threatened me or someone else to get you to kiss me and ruin what you have with Caroline." Stefan didn't say anything, "Which means that you must like her so in a way I'm glad that you care about her." He sort of smiled at that.

"Bonnie, has your Grams ever spoken about witchcraft?" Bonnie's eyes bulged. Slowly she began to nod and Stefan's face paled. Katherine. Tomb. Bennett witch. This was not looking good and he still had no idea what he was looking _at_.

"…What?" Bonnie pressed as she watched Stefan's forehead become lined and his thick brows press together as he processed everything.

"You need to talk to your Grams about everything, something's about to go horribly wrong and if we don't know what it is we won't be able to stop it."

"We?" Bonnie queried and Stefan nodded, all business-like.

"**We**," he echoed, "My brother started this so I feel responsible; besides, I came here to start over, not to repeat every mistake I've ever made with him. It ends here, so help me Bonnie, it ends _here_." Bonnie became pensive. "And _we_ because you're a witch, or soon will be and from my experience as a vampire, there's always a bounty on your head."

"Thanks." Bonnie muttered and he pressed his lips together in a half smile.

"We could figure this out together Bonnie, you don't have to hate me or be scared of me. You're the one who can set me on fire, if anyone's about to get hurt here it's _me_."

"I could do that?" Bonnie gasped and he nodded.

"Emily could." She frowned at him then, "She's your ancestor, she didn't like Damon very much either."

"I like her already." Bonnie joked. Stefan hummed in agreement.

"I should probably take you home," he said starting her car, "Look about Caroline –"

"I'll smooth things over, but it's going to take a while for you to get back in her good graces."

"As long as I do I suppose I'll have to endure it." Bonnie couldn't help when she ran her eyes over him then, he was admittedly fascinating. And kind, with a horrible hero complex perpetuated to the point of insanity by his brother. He was a conundrum and, though the idea of what he was still made her break out into goose bumps, he had no reason to help her – at all. Yet all he'd done since he met her _was_ help her, save her, be good to her. She didn't flat out trust him by any means, but …she wasn't about to use him for target practice when she finally committed some of the chants in Gram's spell books to memory. She had so much to wrap her head around but if Damon was real, and she'd seen the holes in her neck as proof that he was, then her Grams' ramblings should be too. There was only one way to find out. When Stefan pulled up outside her house again he killed the engine and flashed to her side of the car and helped her out though she didn't really need it, handing her keys back to her as well. She smiled up at him a little awkwardly, they had kissed after all.

"Thanks for driving me home." He nodded. "And for the…" she waved her wrist around, she'd put the Velcro cover back on it to thwart suspicion for now. He nodded again. "Should we like, exchange numbers or something?" He frowned, "To keep in contact about your whole _brother scenario_."

"Oh, right. Of course." He laughed a little at himself, wondering why his mind had wandered in the other direction. They exchanged phones, keying in their details before returning the devices. "Look, maybe not tell anyone about me and Damon?" He asked and Bonnie nodded, it wasn't her secret to tell and she was about to open her mouth to tell him not to say anything about what she could be when he spoke again, "Your secret's safe with me too." He said with a here and gone smile and she nodded her head gratefully, "See you at school."

"See you." He walked around her then and she turned to face him, "Are you…Stefan are you _walking_ home?" He spun around then, walking backwards as he replied.

"Well as soon as it's just me on the streets I fully intend to _run_." Her mouth fell into a silent 'oh'. He nodded and smiled, turning back around and walked off into the night while her eyes followed him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hi this is Elena, I'm not here at the moment<em> –" there was a noise in the background and laughter broke out, "_But my ridiculous friends are here interrupting my voicemail so_ –" Jeremy winced as he listened to Caroline, Bonnie and Elena laughing, "_Leave a message after the beep!_" he hung up and tossed his phone aside. He was trying to stop calling her phone, but sometimes he just wanted to hear her voice, hold onto whatever he still had of her, and not just her memory. He jumped a little when he heard Bonnie's door open and close across the hall and he stood up. He knew no matter what mood she was in they could always talk so he swept into her room unannounced and dropped onto her bed while she shuffled around in her walk in closet. Matt had told him something before they'd left the Grille and he wanted answers.

"…Did you kiss Stefan?" He called out and he began shaking his head when he heard her movements cease, "Bon that's really _weird_ of you –"

"Look. I can't talk about that right now." Bonnie huffed as she stepped out of the closet, pulling a clean t shirt on, a flash of her flat stomach coming and going, not even registering to Jeremy as he frowned up at her while she fluffed out her hair. "I have to go to Grams." He nodded.

"I'll come with you." She chewed her bottom lip but relented, she knew he hated being alone at night.

"Fine as long as you don't pester me about the whole Stefan thing." She held out her pinkie and he rolled his eyes. "…for _now_ at least." She raised a brow and he exhaled dramatically. Curling his pinkie in hers he nodded.

"Fine, but when you tell me you're not leaving anything out." She pulled a face. "Not about the kiss you perve," Jeremy chastised her, "I know you, that probably isn't even the actual problem."

"I hate that you know me so well." She groaned and he grinned.

"You _love_ it." He teased as he followed her out. "Hey do you think Grams would make more of those blueberry muffins?"

Stefan needed more information and try as Damon might to deny his younger brother at every available opportunity, it didn't take more than some sly prodding to get what he needed. Stefan was sure of two things: One, Damon was scouting out Bonnie's grandmother's house; Damon was dedicated and thorough, he was lining everything up and he would be meticulous about it. Two, Bonnie was no doubt on her way to her Grams' house right now so Stefan had to make sure that Damon was as far away as possible.

* * *

><p>"Evening Stefano," Damon sang as Stefan stepped into the living room, his frown in place. "How's Bonnie doing? She packs quite the punch by the looks of it," Damon snickered, "Maybe you should <em>thank<em> me, she's far more intriguing than the blonde. That Caroline is as shallow as I am, nowhere near as pretty with little to sense between her ears." Stefan's eyes bleed into a bright crimson colour and veins undulated under his eyes.

"Say that again, I _dare_ you."

"Still weighing your options I see," Damon goaded, "Kissing _Bonnie_, making love-me eyes at _Caroline_, this is the most we've had in common in a while dear brother."

"They're not _toys_ Damon!" Stefan yelled. "This isn't a _game_! I came here to start over, to actually live a life of my _own_. I'm sick of all of it, I'm sick of you _ruining_ _everything_ for me!" Stefan prowled forward. "Those girls, their friends, their families, I fully intend to have them become a part of my life and I'll kill you if you try and stop that." Damon's eyes bugged with amusement as he ran them over his little brother.

"So _this_ is what you as a man looks like," Damon chortled, "I hardly recognise you with your big boy pants on." With a loud roar Stefan launched himself at Damon, hoping Bonnie's visit with her grandmother was worth the beating he was about to receive.

* * *

><p>"<em>Grams<em>!" Jeremy said cheerfully, his arms wide as his smile as Sheila opened the door. The older woman laughed heartily, bringing the boy into a warm embrace, patting his cheek once they separated. She looked over to her granddaughter with a wink and a squeeze of Bonnie's hand.

"I made muffins," Sheila announced and Jeremy gave Bonnie an I-told-you grin which made her roll her eyes, "Blueberry."

"Oh man, I'm either psychic or you are," Jeremy said as they all stepped inside, "Either way, I'm about to stuff my face."

"Save some for your sister would you?" Grams said with a tisk and Jeremy nodded his head making a 'yeah, yeah' motion with his hands as he disappeared into the kitchen. Sheila's eyes glittered with affection as she watched him walk away. "He looks a lot better since the hospital." Bonnie nodded as she hugged her grandmother.

"He's doing okay, especially since we had a talk with his aunt earlier."

"Oh? Should I put the kettle on?" Bonnie nodded as she flounced onto the couch. Sheila patted the top of the armchair Bonnie was in and walked off to do just that.

* * *

><p>Jeremy was scrounging through old texts of Witchcraft in Salem on a pile of pillows in the corner of the living room with a plate of snacks next to him while Bonnie relayed everything that had happened with Jenna. Sheila was both relieved and on edge. If Rudy screwed this up she might have to smack some sense into him herself; he needed to be more available to his daughter, to <em>Jeremy<em>, who for all intents and purposes was now his son.

"Rudy should be home on Wednesday, make sure he calls Jenna the minute he walks into the house, you know that man is as flighty as he is frigid." Sheila tisked, "I'd tell him myself but he never listens to me, hasn't in years." Bonnie sighed but agreed.

"I've sent him a message already but I'm going to call tomorrow before we leave for school, I'm not budging on this, I've never asked him for anything, but I won't take no for an answer when it comes to this." Bonnie said and her eyes flickered to Jeremy who was luckily lost in the world of whatever he was reading. "Jeremy means too much." Sheila nodded, patting Bonnie's hands.

"Bonnie I know that right now this is the last thing on your mind, but I need to talk to you about –"

"Witchcraft?" Bonnie interrupted gently, a nervous smile on her face, "That's actually the real reason I'm here," waving off the look of apprehension on Sheila's face Bonnie went on, "I'm not going to fight you on it or ask you to stop talking to me about it, in fact, I want to know more." Sheila moved back a little as surprise settled in. "I know that whatever attacked me in the woods wasn't an 'animal', and," the girl took in a deep breath aware that Jeremy's eyes were on her now as well, "I know I should have told you this but that night I had this dream –" Sheila held up a hand and stood to her feet.

"I have to fetch something before you continue; it's time you learned about your family, the _real_ truth about your family." Bonnie watched her go then turned to look at her little brother who's frown was so deeply etched into his forehead that it made him look so much older in that moment.

"Bonnie what's going on?" She waved him over and he was next to her in seconds. She took his hand and tried to smile.

"I don't really know but I promise you that nothing's going to happen to you, okay?" He scoffed.

"_Whatever_, this isn't about me, what do you mean it wasn't an animal, the police said –"

"I know, but it's not what happened. Just, wait 'til Grams comes back down then maybe it will all make sense." He gripped her hand a little tighter and she smiled. "We're going to be fine." She said, because no matter what, she'd make sure that they all would be.

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><p><strong>Thoughts?<strong>


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